The communication of "information units" between separate computers or computer networks often requires a reformatting of the information contained in the information units. These information units generally contain a number of bits of either data information, control information or null information along with a bit or set of bits for identifying the type of information.
For example, information units delivered from a first computer or computer network may contain m-bits wherein m=9, bits &lt;m-1:0&gt;, contain the "actual" information and bit &lt;m&gt; indicates the type of information. The 9 bits &lt;m:0&gt; can be sent serially to a "server" interface for a second computer or computer network. A server is a part hardware and part software device designed to perform a specific function for a number of "clients" in a network. A client is the software operating a device such as a computer or an intelligent peripheral forming a part of the second network.
This second network can be, for example, a byte (8-bit) oriented network requiring n-bit information units wherein n=8. The m-bit information units sent from the first network must be reformatted into n-bit information units for processing by the n-bit second network. Further, the first network may require that only groups or "packets" of information units be forwarded over a serial line to the second network at one time.
A known system processes packets of serially received m-bit information units by storing the information units and then expanding each m-bit information unit into a 16 bit word using a 16 bit latch, the output of which is fed to the n-bit network. The n-bit network can then operate on the word as two separate bytes of information. This approach has the disadvantage of requiring more memory to expand the 9-bit (m=9) values into 16-bit words prior to transmission.
The 16-bit information units can then be processed, one at a time, by a client in the byte oriented network. The client must individually determine for each 16-bit information unit whether the actual information in that information unit is user data, control information, or null data. This decreases the processing efficiency of the client as well as requiring more available memory space for expanding the m-bit information units into 2n-bit information units.
There is therefore a need for a data representation which allows efficient processing of a fixed number of received information units.